Efficient product packaging is facilitated by the use of automated equipment which is configured to receive and handle unfilled product packages, and thereafter effect filling and closing of the packages. For packaging of food products such as ice cream, cottage cheese, and the like which are generally flowable in nature, the use of cup-like containers has found widespread acceptance.
Containers of this type are generally cylindrical and define an upper annular rim portion, but are typically not truly cylindrical, in that the side walls of the containers taper downwardly and inwardly. By virtue of this configuration, the containers are readily nestable within each other, whereby stacks of the nested containers can be efficiently stored and handled. Subsequent to filling of the individual containers with a food product or the like, a suitable lid is applied to the container at the upper rim portion thereof, with the filled containers further packaged, as may be required, for shipment and storage.
As will be appreciated, efficient filling of such nested containers requires efficient and consistent destacking of individual ones of the containers from stacks thereof. For example, the failure to effect the desired destacking of a container, or the inadvertent destacking of two containers simultaneously, can lead to jamming or other problems with the packaging equipment, thereby undesirably resulting in downtime. The need for consistent and reliable destacking is complicated by the nestable configuration of typical containers, in that the closely nesting configuration of the containers tends to inhibit their separation by virtue of the suction or vacuum created between their closely confronting surfaces as they are drawn apart.
In view of these operating requirements, highly positive and precise handling during destacking is mandated. One such apparatus for effecting such destacking is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,659,744, to Byrd, et al., wherein movable plates are provided in operative association with stacks of containers for destacking the lowermost container of each stack. However, the apparatus of this patent contemplates that destacking be effected by vertically moving a stack of nested containers, while the lowermost container is retained against movement by a pair of the movable plates and an associated suction cup mechanism. As such, the entire apparatus must be configured so as to effect vertical movement of all of the stacks of containers being handled, bearing in mind that each stack preferably includes a large number of containers to facilitate extended operation of the apparatus without reloading of the container stacks. Additionally, experience has shown that this type of apparatus requires the application of relatively strong suction to the lower surface of each container during destacking, thus further complicating the operation.
In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a container destacking apparatus which avoids the shortcomings of previous known designs, while providing efficient and consistent destacking of individual containers from nested stacks thereof.